This invention relates to a flame retardant vegetable fiber material which is developed by the new technical and chemical treatments over an inherently inflammable fiber material such as pulp, cotton fiber and so on. It also relates to the process for the production of the same under the industrial mass production system with ease. This invention has realized the widely applicable technologies over the various industry fields--a technology to supply the filler for the building construction materials instead of asbestos, rock fiber and glass wool, a technology to supply a flame retardant vegetable fiber board, a technology to supply various heat insulating and noise absorbing materials from a flame retardant vegetable fiber, and a technology to supply a flame-resistant paper as well as a technology to supply a new material for use as brake lining material for automobiles.
As is well known, asbestos and rock fiber have been widely and generally used over the building industries because they have some inherent quality of incombustibility, heat resistance, and thermal, as well as noise insulation. Also they these materials have been utilized for a flame-resistant paper as well as the brake lining of the automobile. Recently, however, the medical world warned strongly that asbestos or rock fibers in the air might cause lung cancer when inhaled. Therefore, it is now anxiously desired to develop a new and safe fiber material instead of the above asbestos and rock fiber.
In general mineral fibers other than asbestos and rock fiber may have the quality of incombustibility and heat resistance, but they do not meet the conditions of light weight, thermal and noise insulation required for use as building materials. They also do not satisfy the quality of soft texture, permeability and light weight which are required for a flame-resistant paper. On the other hand, in case mineral fibers other than asbestos and rock fiber are used as the material for the brake linings of the automobile, the satisfactory result of the kinetic energy loading is not obtainable. In addition, the safety over the human health is required, for which it may be safely said that there will be found no proper fiber to satisfy all of the above requirements among the presently existing mineral fibers.